Where do you recommend for a holiday?

Alan_H_1991

I am looking for a very very very exotic unusual place, a place where not many people go. A lot of people my age, when asked reply with the likes of Spain, Portugal, Ibiza Crete, etc.

I am looking for advice from a well-seasoned traveler who can shed some light on the topic. I am talking about the likes of Mongolia, Azerbaijan, Tajikistan, Kiribati etc. I have an arsenal of countries to choose from, but wikitravel.org isn't often the most reliable source, due to the ability of almost anyone to willy-nilly edit it.

Is there any seasoned traveler out there who can recommend an unusual, yet safe destination, with lost of tips of what to do there.

Also, being a person who thirsts for adventure and obscurity in his travels, I find it hard convincing friends and family to venture to these unusual locations, and again, to reiterate, most of them only want to go on, for lack of a better phrase, a "boozing holiday", so is it unusual to travel alone? Some people seems to frown upon it, but it seems to be the only way I can get to see these places because everyone I know wants to just go to the likes of Spain etc for booze and sun and clubs :mad:

Alan_H_1991

Also keep the price of the holiday below 2000€ ish

tannytantans

Hi OP,

Would you consider using a small tour group like this: http://www.intrepidtravel.com/ourtrips/ , that way you wouldn't have to travel alone. My BIL went to South America with them a few years ago, met loads of like minded people and now he goes on holiday with them every year to unusual places.

I know their destinations may not be exotic enough for you - but they might be a good place to start off.

Other than that I'd recommend to check out the Lonely Planet forums for advice and recommendations

Alan_H_1991

tannytantans wrote: »

Hi OP,

Would you consider using a small tour group like this: http://www.intrepidtravel.com/ourtrips/ , that way you wouldn't have to travel alone. My BIL went to South America with them a few years ago, met loads of like minded people and now he goes on holiday with them every year to unusual places.

I know their destinations may not be exotic enough for you - but they might be a good place to start off.

Other than that I'd recommend to check out the Lonely Planet forums for advice and recommendations

Great website .. thanks v much !!!

sfakiaman

India is a good if not obvious choice but depends on how much time you have. I spent about six months there traveling about by train and local bus. Once you're there living is cheap enough and most people speak english to a reasonable degree yet you are not tripping over tourists everywhere you go (except maybe Indian ones). The caves in Ajanta and Ellora are really worth a visit but just travelling around is an education in its self.

You seem to write off Crete but if you took a flight to Chania, hired a car and headed into the hills you would find some really interesting places, most of the south of the island is not overly touristy and despite the bullet holes in the sign posts the locals are friendly.

I have at times simply taken the car to mainland europe and driven around, the most unlikely places can be very interesting, I landed at Dornbirn in Austria on Valentines Day one time and the craic was mighty!

Good Travelling

Gallant_JJ

Mongolia is absolutely stunning, I would love to be in a position to take a couple of months off just to do a driving tour of it again. I crossed it back in 2010 in a transit van but unfortunately we hadn't allowed enough time to full explore the countryside. Flights are surprising accessible, probs 700-800 return. A lot of hard work involved, some atrocious roads, but well worth it.

MOH

Came across this recently, might be of interest

bamboozle

Guatemala - especially Lake Atitlan
Argentina - anywhere in Argentina, it all rocks
Alaska
Ghana

Balmed Out

ahhh Lake atilans a nice spot alright. Guatemalas a nice country to see. Climb up an active volcano and cook marshmalows over lava, check out the Mayan site of Tikal, the colonial city of antigua etc. Starting in cancun and finishing with a few days on a beach island in Belize makes a nice month or so trip.

Venezuela is well worth it too.

jester77

Balmed Out wrote: »

ahhh Lake atilans a nice spot alright. Guatemalas a nice country to see. Climb up an active volcano and cook marshmalows over lava, check out the Mayan site of Tikal, the colonial city of antigua etc. Starting in cancun and finishing with a few days on a beach island in Belize makes a nice month or so trip.

Venezuela is well worth it too.

I wanted to go to Guatemala, Honduras and Belize last month but decided against it after talking with some people I know over there and reading the travel warning sites. It's pretty hairy over there with the drug lords running a lot of places. The main reason I gave it a miss was that Tikal is somewhere I want to visit but they advise against it at the moment. You can always take a chance but I wouldn't want to always feel like I am looking over my shoulder.